WARNING: Major spoilers below for Resident Evil
Against all odds, Zach Cregger‘s Resident Evil is nothing short of a triumph. Regardless of how any single viewer might feel about the movie, what’s undeniable is that it has set a number of financial and critical records not just for the franchise, but for all movies based on video games. Anyone familiar with the original live-action franchise knows just how disappointing some of those installments got, so to see such a major win for horror and for Resident Evil is truly thrilling.
In the film, Abrams stars as a medical courier tasked with transporting something to Raccoon City. It doesn’t take long for him to realize there’s something sinister happening in the town, as he confronts various otherworldly monsters. At one point, Abrams’ character is bitten by someone infested, which starts a transformation inside of him. As he races to deliver the key component of an antidote, which would allow him to recuperate, the courier gets there too late and is transformed into a grotesque beast.
It’s a bold move from Cregger to spend the entire movie with a likable character, only to turn him into a monster. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams weighed in on that finale.
“I’ve been living with it for a while now, but I thought it was crazy and shocking when I first read it,” Abrams revealed. “I love that Zach takes those risks. You follow this one guy the whole time, so hopefully you’re enjoying watching him and rooting for him. Then to have him not make it is really risky and gutsy, which is what I love about all of Zach’s work. So I was surprised by it, but I also loved that he would take that chance.”
He added, “With a lot of movies nowadays, they’re a little too afraid to do something like that — to kill off a character you really like. And if they do, the blow is softened in some way so it doesn’t hurt too much. Whereas a lot of older films don’t do that; they just rip your heart out. We’re here to feel, man. We’re here to go through something. So I’m just appreciative that Zach is willing to take a risk like that.”
Early in the film, Abrams’ Bryan shares multiple calls with his girlfriend Michelle, who just found out she was pregnant. His multiple attempts to communicate with her are interrupted, though it’s very clear that he doesn’t want to be a father. At a time when he’s at his lowest, he leaves a voice note for Michelle expressing his regret over his reactions and how he had a new perspective on wanting to start a family with her.
“I wouldn’t say he deserved his fate, especially when you see him turn it around toward the end. That’s part of the tragedy of it all. It’s so damn sad when you really think about it,” the actor reflected. “He leaves this voice note for his girlfriend, and maybe they’ll find his phone and somehow get it to her. But she thinks he doesn’t want to have this baby, when he actually does. He realizes, ‘No, I love her. Having a kid isn’t as scary as I thought, and I want to do it with her.’ So the fact that she’ll never know that is pretty damn tragic. He changed and got better, but no one will ever know about it. There’s something really beautiful and tragic about that.”
Ahead of release, Cregger confirmed he wanted to pivot away from franchise films for the forseeable future. That update, partnered with Bryan’s demise, makes it seem unlikely that we would get a sequel that either Cregger or Abrams would be involved with, yet the massive success of the movie makes it seem like another entry is a certainty.
What did you think of the ending? Let us know in the comments below!
